Gas turbine engines operate to produce mechanical work or thrust. Specifically, land-based gas turbine engines typically have a generator coupled thereto for the purposes of generating electricity. A gas turbine engine comprises an inlet that directs air to a compressor section which has stages of rotating compressor blades spaced between stage of stationary vanes. As the air passes through the compressor, the pressure of the air increases. The compressed air is then directed into one or more combustors where fuel is injected into the compressed air and the mixture is ignited. The hot combustion gases are then directed from the combustion section to a turbine section. As the hot combustion gases pass through the turbine, the stages of the turbine rotate, which in turn, causes the compressor to rotate.
The air from the inlet is directed through a compressor section, with the compressor having a plurality of alternating axial stages of rotating blades and stationary vanes. As the air travels through the compressor, its pressure increases as well as its temperature. An axial stage of vanes and mounting hardware forms a diaphragm that is secured to the engine and directs the flow of air onto the compressor blades. In prior designs, circular inner diameter and outer diameter rings were used with slots cut through the rings for airfoils to slide through the slots. The airfoils were then welded to the rings to form the vane diaphragms. The full-circle rings and vanes were split into two, 180-degree segments and each of these segments was then assembled into an engine. This assembly has numerous drawbacks including manufacturing and production issues, airfoil cracking at the weld joints during operation, and durability issues regarding seals associated with the diaphragm assembly.